A partnership composed os



March 8, 1932. I s R HARTRANF-r 1,848,477

THREAD FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 28,1928 A 2 SheetsSheet 1 3 7 3e 44 I; O 8

7 26 8 83 25 84 E7 16 32 4 /a 30 43 j 42 26 26 26 '75 mlggl 63 o 35 22llllllllllllllllllll llllli 1| E 7 gyvuentoz 55222357 R. fiarzrazz t,

March 8, 1932. s. R. HARTRANFT 1,848,477

THREAD FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Dec. 28, 1928 fiuilllllL Emma 6111b: ncqa Patented lVlar. 8,E932- SAMUEL R. HARTRANF'I, F READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRALHOSIERY COMPANY, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A PARTNERSHIP GOMIOSED OFMORRIS R. ADAMS, JOHN G. RHOADS, MARY E. HEILIVIAN AND SAMUEL R.

HARTRANFT THREAD-FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINESApplication filed December as, 1928. Serial No. 328,998.

My invention relates to circular knitting machines, and particularly toan improved attachment therefor adapted to feed additional thread todetermined needles principally for the production of ornamental stripes,pattern designs, or the like.

My main object is to provide an improved thread feeding attachment forthis purpose effectively cooperating with the usual machine operationsand supplying thread to selected needles, whereby an increased variationin possible ornamental designs is readily provided for and controlled bya predetermined setting of the pattern means.

Another main object is-to provide an attachment mounted transversely ofthe needle cylinder and outside the latter, the feeding ends only of itsthread guiding means being revolved about an axis extending transverselytoward the cylinder and substantially radially crossing the axis of thelatter, and simultaneously longitudinally reciprocated toward saidcylinderabove the needlesand across their circular path, thusfacilitating its application to any usual type of circular machine witha minimum of structural changes in the latter, and occupying heretoforecomparative- 1y unused space. i

A still further object is to provide an attachment of substantiallyunitary structure whereby it may be readily placed in its cooperativemounted position, tiltable to idle out-of-the-way position for necessarymachine operations, or simply lifted bodily from its mounting when notrequired.

\Vith the above main objects thus outlined, and with other importantobjects that will appear later as the description progresses, myinvention comprises the structure hereinafter more fully set forth inconnection with the drawings accompanying the same and forming partthereof and showing a preferred embodiment of my attachment applied to aknown type of circular knitting machine, the nature of its operationbeing fully described, and the novel features thereof being specificallyset forth in the subjoined claims.

ig. 1 shows in front elevation essential portionsof a known circularknitting machine suflicient to disclose the. application thereto of apreferred embodiment of my complete attachment.

Fig. 2 is mainly a corresponding side elevation of the structure shownin Fig. 1, only the forward end of the finger carrying unit being shown.

Fig. 3 shows separately one of the threadguide fingers and itscooperatingslack takeup device.

Fig. 4 indicates a partial plan view of the knitting head showingdetails of the needle selecting mechanism employed in connection with myattachment.

Fig. 4a is a fragmentary detail of the controlling lever for the slidebar.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the needle cylinder showing a jackemployed with the needle.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the driving connection for the rotary threadguide carrier, and Fig. 7 a partial diagrammatic view of the cam ring.

My attachment may be applied to any usual circular knitting machine, thedrawings indicating parts of a well known machine more fully set forthin Scott Patent No. 1,152,850 of September 7 ,1915, such parts shown be-7 ing sufiicienflto disclose the nature and operation of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents the usual machine frame, inwhich the main drive shaft 6 is mounted and provided with a gear 7 todrive the needle cylinder 8 and its circular complement of needles 9 asheretofore in the 1 production of a tubular knit fabric through thecooperation of usual knitting cams and the like, not shown, acting on amain or body yarn in a manner well known and requiring no furtherexplanation, the automatic machine control being efiected as usualthrough a pattern chain 10 and cooperating cam drum 11 functioning asheretofore.

My improved attachment is particularly adapted to co-operate with suchknown knitting mechanism in the introduction to determined needles ofadditional thread to be interknitted with the main or body thread andshow plated on the surface of the fabric in pleasing ornamentalembroidery designs. And to insure the accurate engagement of gaging thebutts of needle jacks 12 which, as

shown, are employed in known manner wit Y certain or all the needles 9,as later hereinafter more fully described.

Various striping thread attachments have heretofore beenused inconnection with circular machines, such attachments commonly employing aseries of thread guides axially suspended above the needle cylinder. Inmy present improved construction I have advantageously mounted my threadguide fingers to revolve transverselyv of and outside the needlecylinder, only their thread-feeding ends being reciprocated toward saidcylinder and substantially radially across the circle of needles,occupying laterally unused machine space and leaving the space above theneedle cylinder comparatively free for other uses; such finger mountingpreferably comprising a carrier device removable as a unit when notrequired as more fully hereinafter described.

As shown in the drawings such unitary carrier device for the guidefingers preferably comprises a front ring bearing piece 15 and a rearbearing piece 16 having integrally secured concentric cam-edgedcylindrical extensions 17 and 18, said bearing pieces being fixedlyspaced by one or more rigid bail pieces 19, and rotatably carrying ashaft 20 having a finger head 21 hearing in the front ring piece 15 anda rear bearing axially of the cam cylinders 17 and 18 in the rearbearing piece 16, a free end of said shaft projecting beyond the latterto seatingly rest in a recessed bearing block 22 of a supporting bracket23 fixed to the table top 12 of the machine frame 5, while the ringpiece 15 is formed with a spread base24 which rests on a supporting.lever 60 hereinafter more fully described. The recess in bearing block22, as shown, is downwardly inclined so as to permit a tilting of theforward end of said entire carrier device by a lifting motion of lever60, or the entire device may be readily manually lifted from its frontrest on said lever 60 and its rear support on bracket 23, bail 19forming a convenient handle for the purpose.

To form a support for my transversely reciprocated thread guide fingers,the shaft 20 is preferably provided, as shown, with spaced fixedlysecured discs or plates 25, 25, formed with suitably alined apertures26, 26, and the finger head 21 is formed with a corresponding series ofapertures 27 alined with the apertures 26, 26. A plurality of guidefingers are preferably mounted in said discs 25, 25, and finger head 21,the drawings showmg provision for four, but a commercial embodiment ofmy invention successfully employing ten, each capable of producing anindividual stripe or pattern design on determined wales of the tubularfabric.

Fig. 3 indicates separately a preferred embodiment of a complete threadgiiide and its associated parts, the same comprising, as shown, aguidefinger 30 with a forward eyeletted thread-feeding end 31 and itsopposite rear end pivotally connected at 32 to a longitudinally movableoperating rod 33, the free end of the latter carrying an anti-frictioncam-engaging roller 34. Rod 33, as shown intermediately' carries abracket 35 forming a support for a thread bobbin 36, and a second spacedbracket 37 provided with a suitable thread-tensioning device 38.

Associated with each thread guide device I preferably employ athread-slack take-up device comprising, as shown, a take-up finger 40with an eyeletted forward end 41 and its rear end pivotally connected at42 to a rod 43. the free end'of the latter carrying an antifrictioncam-engaging roller 44.

As shown, each thread guide finger 30 with its operating rod 33, and itsassociated threadslack take-up finger 40 with its operating rod 43, aresimilar in construction and closely positioned in parallel relation,being jointly mounted in an alined series of apertures 27 26, and 26respectively of the finger head 21 and shaft discs 25, 25, with theireyeletted ends 31 and 41 projecting through said head 21 to overlie theneedle cylinder and their opposite rollered ends respectively engagingagainst the cam edges of cylinders 18 and 17 As shown, tension springs46, 47 connecting the respective rods 33 and 43 to a rod disc 25 holdthe rollers 34 and 44 against their respective cam edges and thedrawings further indicate a partial peripheral cam 48 on cylindricalextension 17 forming a partial positive cam path for roller 34supplementing the action of. spring 46; the essential action desired,and securable in any convenient manner, be-

ing to maintain a determined longitudinal 21, as shown, with a ring gear50 integral with the latter or securely fixed thereto, and convenientlydrive said gear as shown from a pinion gear 51 on shaft 52 mounted in ahous ing sleeve 53 secured to table 12, the lower end of said shafthaving a pinion gear 54 meshing with a suitable gear 55 on main drive shaft 6. As said main shaft 6, through its gear 7.

drives the needle cylinder 8, determined synchronized rotation of saidcylinder and shaft is simply secured by a proper ratio of the drivegears for the latter. Attention is here directed to the specific showingof the drawings which indicate the guide fingers as inclined inwardlytoward the axis of shaft 20 which causes their ends 31 to rotate in anorbit derstood.

In order that the forward end of the thread guide device above describedmay be tilted by lever 60, or removed entirely as hereinabove described,I preferably mount pinion gear 51 in a bracket 56 secured to ringbearing 15 so as to remain always in mesh with .ring gear 50, andprovide the axial aperture 57 thereof, as clearly seen in Fig. 6, withradially projecting recesses 58 having angular inclines leading theretoin the direction of rdtation, said recesses being engageable with atransverse pin 59 formed in the top of shaft 52, so that said pin willact as a clutch to engage said pinion gear 51 to shaft 52 when lever 60supports the ring bearing 15 I in lowered operative position to therebydrive shaft 20 and the guide fingers mounted thereon, While permittingready disengagement of said pinion and shaft when lever 60 lifts to tiltthe forward-feed end of said guide finger I device as aforesaid.

The determined tilting effected by lever 60 is simply providedfor, asshown, by forming said lever with an integral downwardly projectedend 61overhanging suitable cams on cam drum 11; bearing supports 62, 62secured to frame 5 providing proper mounting for said lever.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood by thosefamiliar with circular knitting machines, that with proper synchronizeddrive of cylinder 8, and shaft 20. and proper shape given to the camedges of cylindrical extension 17 and 18, the rotated guide fingers 30will swing vertically toward and form the needle cylinder and bereciprocated across the latter to feed their threads from theirrespective bobbins 36, with proper tension given by their tensiondevices 38, to determined needles of said rotated cylinder 8; andfurthermore that each thread slack takeup finger 40 will besimultaneously reciprocated with its guide finger 30 so as to move itseyeletted end 41 from or toward the thread feed eyeletted end ofrespective guide 30 thus taking up the slack of the thread as re uiredby the rotated cylinder, and rotated an fl reciprocated guide.

In order that the series of rotated guide fingers 30 and theirrespective take-up fingers 40 may occupy desired compact space whenprojected across the needle cylinder 8, I prefer, as shown, to form theapertures 2 7 in finger head 21 radially closer to the axis of shaft 20than the apertures 26, 26 in discs 25, 25, so that theprojecting actionof operating rods 33 and 43 will cause their respective guide andtake-up fingers 30 and 10 to turn on their pivots 32 and i2 thusswinging their eyeletted ends 31 and 41 toward the axial line of theirrotation, and reversely moving them when rods 33 and 43 are retracted.

By turning the cylinder 8 and shaft 20 to rotate at the same speed, eachguide finger 30, due to the lag of its lineal speed relative to that ofthe needle cylinder, as aforesaid, will supply its thread to the sameneedle or needles at each cylinder rotation producing a verticalstripeof equal width throughout the length of thetubular fabric. And bydeterminedly varying the respective rotations of said cylinder and shaftso as to advance or retard the cooperative point along the circle ofneedles in successive rotations of the cylinder, the guide fingers 30will supply different needles at each cylinder rotation, producing withproper timing, a spiral stripe winding in either direction diagonallyacross the wales of the fabric. When reciprocative action of thecylinder 8 is employed, as to make heel and toe pockets in a tubularstocking fabric, ordinarily no stripe is desired, and by proper locationand shape of a cam 011 drum 11, lever 60 is then lifted and held raisedduring such cylinder reciprocations to tilt the carrier device byraising ring bearing 15 as before described, thus disengaging gear 51fromits drive shaft 52, when the carriers 30 will remain at rest, butwith their threads engaging in their last interknitted loops. And to cutout the stripes in the foot portion of such stockingfabric, and alsoselectively engage the threads of each guide 30 with cer: tain only ofits possibly engageable needles in producing interrupted stripes,pattern designs and the like, I preferably employ jacks 12 with certainor all the needles 9, depending on the pattern efi'ects desired, and bythe use of pattern controlled cams acting on said jack, as now about tobe described, lift the selected needles that are to take the guide fedthread, above the normal needle level, such lifting action of theneedles being preferably employed also in making vertical or spiralstripes so as to insure posltive feed to the selected needles only andnot to adjacent ones as might possibly otherwise occur.

The use of jacks to operate the needles in dividing them for selectivethread feed to certain of them, is not new in itself, but such lift 'it. will be readily seen that a multiplicity of I division while notessential particularly cooperates with my improved feed mechanism aboveset forth, and the preferred pattern control mechanism operative on saijacks shown in the drawings permits an increase in possible patterneffects and a ready variation of the same by a simple changing of lugsor projections on a special pattern drum hereinafter more fullydescribed, andcooperating witha selected variety and arrangement ofjacks having difl'erent lengths and different butt projections.

The particular jacks shown in the drawings are of two heights 12indicating the shorter one and 12a the long one, a series of each beingemployed distributed around the needle cylinder, and each jackcontrolling its respective needle and having either a short butt 13 or along butt 13a depending on the requirements for the desired pattern;such specific arrangement, however, being easily modified as will bereadily understood.

In the specific showing of Fig. 7, 65 indicates the usual cam ring ofthe knitting machine, needle rest upon which the needle butts tragelordinarily duringrotation of said cylin- In the present structure Iutilize the lower edge 67 of said ring 65, as a butt rest for theloweredidle jack 12 and 12a, but recess said ring at 68, as shown, andemploy a fixed cam 69 1n-said recess to engage the butts of all thejacks and raise them a determined distance, the spaced angular wall 70ofsaid recess acting as a lowering cam to restore said jacks to theirrest level under edge 67. Such arrangement permits me to employselective cams to act on determined jackbutts only and cause said jacksto act on their respective needles. The drawings indicate two such cams7'1 and 7 2, the first being positioned to receive the jack butts raisedby cam 69, and the latter, set at a higher level, to act only onjackbutts delivered to it by cam 71. Cams 71' and 72 are mounted to moveradially of the cylinder and either may be positioned to act on all jackbutts, to act only on the long jack butts, orto be -withdrawn out ofaction on any jack butt.

Taking into consideration the specific arrangement of jacks of differentheights, 12 and 12a, and butts of different lengths, 13 and'13a, and thedetermined distribution of said jacks beneath all needles intended to bemoved to receiving position for the guidefed threads, which may embraceall the needles in the cylinder or only certain of them,

selections of determined needles may be effected by determinedpositioning of cams 71 and 72. For instance both said earns 71 and 72may be set to act on all jack butts, or cam 72 positioned to act only onlong butts, in which case the short butt jack will pass by the top edge66 of which forms the said cam and be lowered by wall cam 70, or cam 71may raise only long butts, cam 72 then raising them to a greater heightor passd ing them idly to cam 70, such actions-in connection withthedifferent heights of the jacks cooperatin in actionon selected needles.The long acks 12a are of such height that action of cam 71 alone willefli'ect their selection, while the short jacks 12 require theadditional actionof cam'72; the action of the latter on long butt highjacks merely eifecting an idle extra lift to their needles.

, Such action of cams 71 and 72 might of themselves selectively raisedesired needles to guide feed position, but I prefer, as shown, toemploy a cam 75 above the needle rest 66 to receive the needle butts ofsuch needles as are raised by earns 71 and 72 and further lift saidneedles to a desired feeding level at a higher level than the cam'72'raises certain of them to idle position; and by giving said cam 75varied radial positions, it will also selectively act on all the needlebutts, only the long needle butts, or be withdrawn out of action on anyof them. The cam 75 is so positioned relative. to the usual knittingcams as to act in advance of the latter and raise the selected needlesto receive thread from determined guide fingers 30 as the latter arerotated and reciprocated as before described, it being usually desiredto feed such thread to the needles in advance of the feed of the bodythread so the former will show plated on the surface of the-fabric. Theproper positioning of the guide and body threads may be otherwisesecured. 1

It is readily apparent that with such selective control of the needlesthe determined feed of the guide thread to desired ones may be verychangeably controlled by a proper manipulation of the several cams 71,72 and 75, which in conjunction with proper synchronized rotation of theguide fingers 30 will produce a great multiplicity of possible patterneffects as well as continuous or interrupted' vertical stripes ofvarying widths, the guide thread being integrally interknitted with thebody thread.

To automatically selectively control the positions of cams 71, 72 and 75the drawings indicate a preferred simple mechanism, as shown and now tobe described.

Cam 75 as shown is carried by a bar mounted to move radially from andtoward cylinder 8 in a bracket 81 secured to the fixed base of theknitting head, said bracket also acting as a foot rest for lever 60/ Thebar I 11 which is provided with suitable cams to raise and lower saidlever. When the cam 7 5 is positioned by the proper step on block 82 toact only on long butt needles, it will be evident that no patterns orstripes will then be formed on short butt needles permitting the makingof a plain stocking foot when desired.

(lams 71 and 72, as shown, are formed on the ends of slide bars 85 and86 respectively mounted in a bracket 87, said bar 86 having a rigidrearward extension 89 and bar 85 a hinged rearward extension 88,and bothbars being normally retracted by any convenient means to hold'their cams71 and 72 away from cylinder 8 out of the path of any jack butt. Cams 71and 72 are positioned in one or other of their positions by a pair ofbell cranks pivotally mounted at 90 on the frame 5, and one end 91, 92of each respectively bearing against extensions 88 and 89 and theirother ends 93, 94 respectively resting on a pair of levers, 95, 96pivotally supported on the frame 5 at 97. The ends'of levers 95 and 96overhang a pattern drum 98 carried on a shaft 99 mounted in suit-ablebearings on frame 5, saiddrum having requisite stepped lugs orprojections 100 to raise'levers 95 and 96 which latter swing bell crankarms 93, 9e and cause their opposite ends 91, 92 to press extensions 88and 89 to advance cams 71 and 72 toward cylinder 8.

In order to make interrupted stripes where desired, 1 preferably providemeans for determinedly preventing bell crank end 91 from acting onextension 88, such means comprising, as shown, a lever 105 havingaforked end 106 adapted to loosely overhang extension 89 but engageextension 88 and swing same on its pivoted connection to bar 85 so as tolift its forked free end above the end of said bell crank lever 91,rendering idle action of the latter, and withdrawal of cam 71 renderingidle any feeding movement of the jack utts. Lever 105 has an angularextension 107, carried in frame brackets 62, 62, with its lower endoverhanging drum 11 for action of suitablecams carried by the latter.

Determined intermittent rotation of pattern drum 98 is controlled, asshown in the drawings, by suitable. studs 110 provided on the regularmachine pattern chain 10, which.

. studs act on the free end of a lever 111 fixed pawl 114 engageablewith a ratchet gear 115' to shaft 112 rotatably mounted in brackets ontable 5. Shaft 112 forms a loose pivotal support for one end of a lever113, the free opposite end of which pivotally carries a on drum shaft99. An additional lever 116 fixed to shaft 112 pivotally carries at itsfree end a strap 117 intermediately engaging with lever 113, and aspring 118, engaging lever 111, normally swings said shaft 112 to causesaid strap 117 to swing lever 113 away from a cam 119 onmain shaft 6.Said cam 119 is adapted to engage said lever 113 at times to rock thesame in a pawl racking movement on gear 115, spring 120 connecting saidstrap 117 to said lever 113 tending to hold the latter against said cam119 when permitted drawings, 1 do not desire to'limit myself to suchspecific showing, as modifications will readily be devised that arewithin the spirit of my invention and the scope of the following claimsdefining the same.

What 1 claim is:

1. In combination with a circular-knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a threadfeeding attachment therefor comprising a. guidecarrier mounted to rotate about an axis extending transverse from saidcylinder, and a thread-carrier finger mounted in said carrier saidfinger being reciprocated so as to project its thread-feeding end acrosssaid cylinder.

.2. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a threadfeeding attachment therefor comprising a thread-guidefinger, a carrier device for the latter mounted to rotate about an axisextending transversely from said cylinder, means to rotate said carrier,and means actuated by said rotation to reciprocate said fingerlongitudinally toward the cylinder and across the circular path of theneedles.

3. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a rotaryneedle cylinder and pattern-controlled means adapted to selectivelyposition determined needles for reception of an additional thread, anadditional thread feeding attachment comprising a thread-guide fingerarranged to revolve about an axis extending transversely toward saidcylinder, the thread-feeding end of said finger being movable intofeeding relation to said selectively positioned needles during itsrevolving traverse.

4. In combination with a circular knitting by inward movement of saidstrap caused by cylinder, means to synchronously rotate said cylinderand carrier about their respective axes, and means to reciprocate saidfingers longitudinally of said carrier during rotation of the latter tocause their thread feeding ends to project beyond said head and intoandout of the circle of needles.

5. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread guidefinger revolvable about an axis extending transversely toward thecylinder and reciprocable radially above the latter and across thecircular path ofthe needles. i

6. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread guidefinger and a cooperating thread slack take up finger mounted forindependent longitudinal reciprocation and joint revolution about anaxis extending transversely to ward the cylinder above the circle ofneedles.

7. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder with needles therein and means for feeding a main thread to theneedles, an attachment including a plating thread guide finger rotatableabout an axis extending transversely toward the cylinder; said platingfinger being reciprocable transversely toward said cylinder and into andout of the circular'path of the needles.

8. In combinationlwith a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread-guidefinger revolvable about an axis extending approximately radially towardthe cylinder axis.

9. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a kiiittingcylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread-guidefinger simultaneously revolvable and longitudinally reciprocated aboutan axis extending approximately radially toward the cylinder axis.

10. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a needlecylinder, a

thread feeding attachment therefor compris- I ing a thread-guide finger,the thread-feeding end of the latter being simultaneously revolvableabout an axis extending transversely toward said cylinder andlongitudinally reciprocated toward the latter and radially across thecircular path of the needles, said finger end revolving about said axisin a spiral path of varying diameter but less than the diameter of thecircle of needles.

'11. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a needlecylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread-guidefinger revolvable bodily about an axis extending approximately radiallytoward the cylinder axis, means to longitudinally advance and retractsaid finger across the circular path of the needles 12.-In combinationwith a circular knit ting machine having a knitting cylinder, :1 threadfeeding attachment therefor compris ing a thread-guide finger and aseparate thread-slack take-up finger cooperatively re volvable about anaxis extending approximately radially toward the cylinder axis.

13. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a thread-feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread-guidefinger and a separate thread-slack take-up finger jointly revolvable andseparately longitudinally reciprocated about an axis extendingapproximately radially toward the cylinder axis.

14. I11 combination with a circular knitting machine having a knittingcylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a thread-guidefinger and a separate threadslack take-up finger, jointly revolvablebodily about an axis extendingapproximately radially toward the cylinderaxis, means to separately longitudinally reciprocate said finger so asto cooperatively advance and retract their ends into and out of thecircle of needles, said finger and take-up ends radially approachingtheir axis of revolution during said longitudinal advance, whereby eachadvances in a spiral path of reducing diameter and retracts in a spiralpath of increasing diameter.

15. In combination with a circular knitting machine having' a knittingcylinder, a thread feeding attachment therefor comprising a guide-fingercarrier mounted to revolve about an axis extending transversely towardsaid cylinder, means to cooperatively rotate said cylinder and carrierabout their respective axes, and means to disengage said carrier fromits rotating means.

16. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a rotaryneedlev cylinder, an embroidery thread feeding attachment thereforcomprising a plurality of thread-guide fingers and separate cooperatingthread-slack take-up fingers, bobbin supports and tension devices forthe respective guide-fingers, acarrier device for said fingers having abearing head adjacent said cylinder, a mounting for said carrier adaptedto rotatably support the same to rotate about an axis extendingtransversely toward the 'cylinder, means to sync gaonously rotate saidcylinder and carrier a out their respective axes, means tolongitudinally reciprocae said fingers in said carrier during rotationof the latter to head and across the circular path of the needles, andmeans to tilt said carrier to disengage it from its rotating means.

17. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a rotaryneedle cylinder, an embroidery thread feeding attachment thereforcomprising a plurality of thread-guide fingers and separate cooperatingthread-slack take-up fingers, bobbin sup- 10 ports and tension devicesfor the respective guide fingers, a carrier device for said fingersaving an apertured finger bearing head ad: j acent said cylinder, amounting for said carrier adapted to rotatably support the same about anaxis extending transversely toward the cylinder, means to synchronouslyrotate said cylinder and carrier about their respective axes, means tolongitudinally reciprocate said fingers in said carrier during rotationof the latter to cause their thread-feeding ends to project beyond saidbearing head above the needles and into and out of the circular path ofthe latter, said bearing head apertures acting to radially reciprocatesaid finger ends toward and from the carrier axis during saidlongitudinal finger reciprocations.

18. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a rotaryknitting cylinder and a circle of needles therein, a thread feedingattachment therefor comprising a thread-guide finger having athread-feeding end adapted to simultaneously bodily re-- volve,longitudinally reciprocate and radially shift about an axis extendingtransversely toward said cylinder whereby said finger feeding endadvances and retreats across the circular path of the cylinder needlesin a spiral path of varying diameter. In testimon whereof I aflix-mysignature.

SA JUEL R. HARTRANFT.

